Self-retained sheet metal fastener



United States Patent t 3 135 309 SELF-RETAINED sirEET METAL FASTENER Edmund J. Soltysik, Niles, Ill., assignor to Illinois Tool Works Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 92,521

3 Claims. (Cl. 15141.75)

This invention relates to a fastening device. More specificially, it relates to a one piece sheet metal fastener adapted to be self-retained adjacent to one workpiece and capable of acceptinga second fastener for retaining a second workpiece adjacent the first workpiece.

In the art offastening, it is a continuing problem to create fasteners for securing two workpieces in adjacent relation which can be economically fabricated and readily and rapidly installed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device which represents a solution to the problem stated above.

Another object is to provide a one piece sheet metal fastener including self-retaining means for securing it relative to a first workpiece and which presents second means adapted to accept threaded elements for adjustable retention of a second workpiece relative to said first workpiece. 7

Still another object of this invention is to provide a one piece fastener which can be produced with a minimum of scrap and yet is economically fabricated by well known methods.

A further object is to provide a novel fastener installation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the accompanying specification is read in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fastener constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of the same embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view in partial section of the embodiment of this invention in installed position in a cabinet installation; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the fiat blank of the fastener contemplated by this invention prior to forming.

Referring now to the drawings, a fastener of the type contemplated by this invention includes a base 12 having a pair of depending legs 14 extending downwardly from opposed edges of the base and form therewith a generally U-shaped configuration. Each of the legs 14 is provided with a laterally disposed flange 16 which in the present embodiment are at right angles to the legs 14. The base 12 is provided with a central aperture 18, the inner marginal edges 20 of base 12 present a plurality of peripherally spaced toothed elements 22 which extend downwardly and inwardly and are angularly disposed relative to base 12 and supported on conically disposed marginal areas 20.

Axially spaced from base 12 is a plate or planar member 26 shown in the disclosed embodiment as being substantially parallel to base 12. Planar member 26 is centrally apertured as at 28 and is provided with screw thread engaging means 30. In the embodiment shown the marginal material of planar member 26 forming the screw thread engaging means 30 is radially slotted as at 32 and helically disposed to accommodate a complementary screw. It should be understood that other known sheet metal thread engaging means can be substituted without deviating from the spirit of the invention. Planar member 26 is retained in its axially spaced position relative to base 12 by a pair of angularly disposed arms 34. Arms 34 extend upwardly and outwardly from opposite 3,135,309 Patented June 2., 1964 Ice edges of planar member 26 and are each reversely bent at its outer end, as at 36, to blend with a point of juncture with the adjacent leg 14. The arms 34 may be ribbed as at 38 for additional longitudinal strength.

A fastener of. the type described can be economically fabricated from a flat heat-treatable sheet metal blank 40 of the type shown in FIG. 5. The planar member 26, and the arms 34 are struck fromthe parent material forming base 12 and legs 14. Substantially the only scrap involved in the manufacture of such a fastener is present in the interdential space between teeth 22 and the aperture 28 for providing the thread engaging means. This relatively scrapless method of producing the instant fastener, of course, results in the conical portions 20 with its attached teeth 22 being divided into two segments of a circle in opposed arrangement to one another due tothe removal of material for the opposed arms 34.

ber, which utilizes the above described fastener, can be best seen in FIG. 4. A cabinet base 42 is provided with a depending hollow boss 44 having a bore 46 comunicating between the upper surface of base 42 and the free end of boss 44. Fastener 10 is adapted to be associated with boss 44 by the axial telescoping of the boss 44 downwardly within aperture 18 until the upper surface of base 12 is in engagement with the undersurface of cabinet base 42. Normally, boss 44 is slightly larger in diameter than the internal diameter between opposed teeth 22 so that the teeth 22 will flex downwardly slightly and thence, because of the sharp edge presented by their angular disposition, bite into the boss 44. The leg 50 is provided with a central aperture 52 and is counter-bored at its upper and lower end as at 54 and 56. Counter-bore 54 is designed so as to be substantially equal to or slightly greater than the axial extent of legs 14 and flanges 16. As can be seen, the legs 14 and flanges 16, the latter being coplanar with planar member 26, serve to space the intermediate portion 58 of leg 50 and the cabinet base 42. A screw 60 complementary to screw thread means 30 is introduced through counter-bore 56 and extends upwardly through aperture 52 and bore 56 of the leg 50 and boss 44, respectively. The cabinet leg 50 can be readily removed for shipment, should'this be desired, and is capable of lateral adjustment relative to cabinet base 42 by controlling the diametral size of aperture 52 relative to the shank and head size of screw 60. The amount of adjustment available, is, of course, a matter of choice and dependent upon the available limits of shank diameter and head size in screws.

The conical disposition of teeth 22 and the adjacent material 20 provide a lead-in for the telescopic association with boss or stud 44, and position the teeth 22 in their optimum holding position relative to the outer surface of boss 44. The ribbing 38 of legs 34 assists in maintaining the triangular strut action necessary to keep planar member 26 spaced from and substantially parallel to the base 12. It should be understood, of course, and will be apaprent to those skilled in the art that, while it is not shown in the exemplary embodiment, the legs 14 do not of necessity have to be equal in length but can be dissimilar in length to accommodate situations wherein it might be desirable to place boss 44 at an angle relative to the cabinet base 42 and thus create the situation where planar member 26 would have to be angularly disposed relative to base 12. The arrangement of the apertures in this double function clip namely spring grip retention means combined with stud retaining means in register with one another, results in a compact, economical fastener suitable for a multiplicity of uses.

Only one exemplary embodiment has been disclosed above, but it is believed that other embodiments and 3 variations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is my desire that I be limited only by the appended claims.

What I claim is:"

1. A one piece sheet metal fastener including an apertured base integral legs extending from opposed sides of said base and substantially normal thereto presenting in cross section a substantially U-shaped form, a flange extending laterally outwardly from the terminal edges of said legs, a screw accommodating member struck from said base member so as to provide said base aperture, said member being apertured to provide threaded convolution receiving means in substantial coaxial alignment with said base aperture, integral means extending between said legs and struck out from said base and legs for securing said member and base in spaced relation, and peripheral work impinging means along the internal margin of the base including a plurality of peripherally spaced tooth elements projecting radially inwardly into the aperture of said base to permit insertion of a workpiece from one side of said fastener, the aperture in said struck out member being adapted to accommodate a screw member inserted from the opposite side of the fastener, the di- 4 ameter of the base aperture being substantially larger than the screw accommodating aperture of the struck out aperture.

2. A device of the type claimed in claim 1 wherein the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS it Schirra Mar. 2, 1909 914,192 2,103,743 Doty Dec. 28, 1937 2,155,810 Tinnerman Apr. 25, 1939 2,707,013 Flora et al, Apr. 26, 1955 2,777,495 Pavlinetz Jan. 15, 1957 

1. A ONE PIECE SHEET METAL FASTENER INCLUDING AN APERTURE BASE INTEGRAL LEGS EXTENDING FROM OPPOSED SIDES OF SAID BASE AND SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL THERETO PRESENTING IN CROSS SECTION A SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED FORM, A FLANGE EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWARDLY FROM THE TERMINAL EDGES OF SAID LEGS, A SCREW ACCOMMODATING MEMBER STRUCK FROM SAID BASE MEMBER SO AS TO PROVIDE SAID BASE APERTURE, SAID MEMBER BEING APERTURED TO PROVIDE THREADED CONVOLUTION RECEIVING MEANS IN SUBSTANTIAL COAXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID BASE APERTURE, INTEGRAL MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID LEGS AND STRUCK OUT FROM SAID BASE AND LEGS FOR SECURING SAID MEMBER AND BASE IN SPACED RELATION, AND PERIPHERAL WORK IMPINGING MEANS ALONG THE INTERNAL MARGIN OF THE BASE INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PERIPHERALLY SPACED TOOTH ELEMENTS PROJECTING RADIALLY INWARDLY INTO THE APERTURE OF SAID BASE TO PERMIT INSERTION OF A WORKPIECE FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID FASTENER, THE APERTURE IN SAID STRUCK OUT MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE A SCREW MEMBER INSERTED FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE FASTENER, THE DIAMETER OF THE BASE APERATURE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER THAN THE SCREW ACCOMMODATING APERTURE OF THE STRUCK OUT APERATURE. 